Hops’ Ivan Melendez Hits for the Cycle

Ivan Melendez, the Arizona Diamondbacks’ second-round pick in the 2022 draft out of the University of Texas, hit for the cycle on Friday night at Ron Tonkin Field in the Hillsboro Hops’ 10-6 loss to the Everett Aquasox. An official scorer’s change after the game gave Melendez a triple in the bottom of the fifth inning – instead of a double with an error – as part of his four-hit night. Melendez became the second Hops player in franchise history to hit for the cycle, and the first to do so at home.

Melendez’s night began with a first-inning tape-measure home run over the scoreboard in left-center field, one of the longer home runs in Ron Tonkin Field history. His 14th round-tripper of the season places him just one shy of the franchise single-season record of 15 set in 2022 by A.J. Vukovich. Melendez followed that up with a single to center in the bottom of the third.

Then, in the fifth, Melendez hit a deep drive over the head of Everett center fielder Victor Labrada and onto the warning track just to the right of straightaway center field. Labrada bobbled the ball momentarily, and Melendez advanced to third base. It was originally ruled a double with an error on Labrada.

Melendez flew out to center in the seventh, and hit another booming drive to center in the 9th, cruising into second with a two-base hit.

Following the game, after careful consideration, the official scorer changed the call on Melendez’s fifth-inning drive to center, ruling it a three-base hit with no error.

Melendez joins Yan Sanchez as the only two Hops to hit for the cycle in the franchise’s 10-year history. Sanchez accomplished the feat on July 5, 2017, at Salem-Keizer.

Melendez is the second Northwest League player to hit for the cycle this season. He joins Spokane’s Yanquiel Fernandez, who completed the feat (against the Hops) on May 10th.